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JennYScars On Broadway - Scars On Broadway Album Review
August 18th 2008 17:52
Genre: Alternative rock, experimental rock, alternative metal
Length: 45:04 / 48:27 (Japanese Edition)
Label: Interscope
After System Of A Down split up, many people wondered what would happen to the genius of members Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian. Though Serj was the first to release a solo album to great success, Daron has also delivered on his band's first album Scars On Broadway, named after the band. Indeed, Scars On Broadway is a great album that provides a nice continuation from SOAD while also veering off in its own direction.
High-tempo songs such as Serious and Stoner Hate sound a lot like System Of A Down's previous work while Chemicals and World Long Gone have that experimental aspect that's always been a part of System's sound.
Still on the high-tempo front, Cute Machines is a great alternative song with a chorus (“And go, go, go, go...") that sounds as if it's a part of the instrumental itself rather than being another paragraph of lyrics. The third track of the album, Exploding/Reloading is closer to punk music than metal but still sounds great.
Universe and 3005 dvelve more into the traditional rock scene with 3005's guitar sounding a little bit country. The first single called They Say is also between traditional rock and alternative. It has a pretty generic guitar riff but the distorted riff that comes between after each verse/before the chorus gives a completely different dimension to the song, making it a great track.
They Say music video
Funny, Insane, Whoring Streets, and Enemy are all slow songs, but great nonetheless. They're not exactly ballads but they're not as hard as the other songs I've stated in previous paragraphs. Kill Each Other/Live Forever is probably the best of the bunch. The message behind the lyrics is pretty environmentalist and you can't help yourself but sing along to the chorus.
Babylon marks the halfway mark of the album and is, in my opinion, the best track of the album. It starts slow but picks up in speed as it goes. Consequently, the song has an epic sound. It's like there's something dramatic happening and it just builds, and builds, and builds... Great song.
Finally, Hungry Ghosts is a bonus track that comes with the Japanese edition. A slow song that doesn't impress much, it isn't a loss for North American fans but hardcore fans might want to have it.
In short, this is a great debut album for Scars Of Broadway. Daron might not have the best singing voice but uses it well to match the songs. This is a must-buy for any SOAD fans, or any rock fans that are looking for something not too hardcore/trash nor too soft. The album itself is not too long - less than hour - and most songs clock in at three minutes. I give it a 4.5/5.
Stay tuned next week for a review of Trapt's Only Through The Pain.
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